2013 ISSUE OF "TRAVERSE CITY" MAGAZINE HITS THE STANDS

 

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – The Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau] has just published the 2013 edition of its popular magazine and visitor’s guide, Traverse City.  The free publication features 110 pages of articles, colorful photos and useful information designed to bring this bustling Lake Michigan vacation area to the attention of a wider national audience.

 

Traverse City has long been treasured by Michigan residents for its matchless scenery, colorful history, imaginative cuisine and laid-back friendliness, as well as the low humidity, warm sunshine and cool coastal breezes that make its summers so comfortable. But until recently, it has remained relatively unknown outside the state.

 

“Traverse City is a wonderful destination, but historically we haven’t done a really good job of sharing it with the rest of the world,” says Bureau president Brad Van Dommelen. “The most common thing we hear from first-time visitors is, ‘I had no idea there was anything like this in this part of the country!’ Now, at last, we’re doing what we can to spread the word.”

 

The word is certainly getting out. This past year, National Geographic named Traverse City one of its Top 10 Summer Trips for 2012, while the Travel Channel ranked  it among the Top Seven  Beer Destinations in North America, and Budget Travel called it one of the 11 “Coolest Winter Places in America.” But much remains to be done, says Van Dommelen.

 

The Bureau’s annual magazine is designed specifically with that goal in mind. More of a coffee-table magazine than a tourist guide, it avoids promotional clutter in favor of clean layouts, large color photos and informative articles. The 2013 edition, for example, features a guide to finding the best local beaches, a tribute to the region’s growing reputation as a sportfishing destination, and a  heartwarming first-person story about a married couple’s weekend getaway.

 

Obviously, the magazine also contains a great deal of practical information to help visitors plan their vacations, including detailed schedules of activities and events, a helpful lodging section describing the area’s best hotels and resorts, a guide to some of the region’s best restaurants and a section called “Traverse City Regions” that describes the area’s diverse neighborhoods, enclaves and communities.

 

The entire magazine can be viewed on line by visiting the Bureau’s website at www.TraverseCity.com. (The site also has a handy on-line order form that viewers can use to order a free copy of the real thing.)